1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for press-bonding a tape onto edges of a workpiece, and more particularly to a tape press-bonding apparatus capable of easily and reliably press-bonding a tape for covering portions such as inwardly heavily concaved edges of a plate-shaped panel, onto such portions.
2. Description of the Related Art
Panel-shaped members (hereinafter called merely "panels") have heretofore been designed in such a manner that decorative members are applied on the front and reverse faces thereof to smooth or otherwise enhance their appearance. On the other hand, tape-shaped members (hereinafter called merely "tapes") can be press-bonded onto side faces of the panels, i.e., their cut edges, thereby enhancing the appearance of the side faces thereof and ensuring their service durability. In this case, the press-bonding of the tapes to the side faces of the panels often tends to depend on labor. However, manufacturing cost then rises, and output efficiency is appreciably reduced.
Therefore, there has been proposed, as a new technical idea, an edge banding machine for automatically press-bonding a tape onto side faces of a panel, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1-95002, for example. According to the disclosure, the tape can be press-bonded onto the side faces flattened in shape. It is, however, difficult in fact to press-bond the tape onto side faces of a panel where said side faces are deeply bent inwardly in shape, for example. More specifically, according to the edge banding machine referred to above, an edge banding head is structurally extremely large. Therefore, when each of the side faces of the panel is deeply contoured inwardly, i.e., recessed in shape, it is difficult to displace a pressure roller itself along its shape. Thus, a process for press-bonding the tape onto a panel having such a shape must depend on labor or manpower. In other words, there has not yet been proposed an apparatus for automatically press-bonding a tape onto side faces of a panel of complex shape.